This is Part 2 of our Moving to Tampa Bay blog. We’ll continue with what else our amazing city has to offer:
Nightlife
The Tampa Bay Area is full of things to do at all hours of the night. There is downtown Tampa with its swanky clubs and chic restaurants, downtown St. Petersburg with its craft beer and live music, any of the beach clubs spread throughout the coast with signature cocktails like the famed Rum Runners, and even the quaint downtown areas of Dunedin and Palm Harbor have restaurants and bars with live music and a home-bar feel. There is plenty to do no matter where you settle and even if you don’t like the scene close to your backyard, a quick drive can take you to any of the breweries, rooftop lounges and high-end restaurants that you want to go to.
Daylife
This goes along with beaches and sports, but there is a lot to do during the day. Pick your poison and we could for on hours explaining the many things you could do. There are festivals (like, almost every weekend), there are concerts (again, almost every weekend), and there are parks, plays and performances all over the Tampa Bay area. There is Gasparilla in January, which is legendary in Tampa for its kid-friendly parade and then not-so-kid-friendly evening parade. There are boat shows throughout the holiday season, the Jazz Fest in October, and Guavaween for Halloween. Wherever you settle, just keep an eye out and you’ll find dozens of events going on around you. We also have Busch Gardens, a theme park for the roller-coaster thrill seeker, Lowry Park Zoo for the animal lover and the indoor Florida Aquarium for the hotter days of the year. And since it is almost always sunny and good weather, outdoor activities like kayaking, paddleboarding, biking, running, walking, and sightseeing are always an option!
Food
The food is amazing. We shouldn’t have to explain more because it speaks for itself, but we will continue. We have everything. Since the Tampa area is such a melting pot of different cultures and people, we have it all. We have Asian fusions in St. Pete, Latin American food (specific to countries and regions) just about everywhere, some of the best burger joints around, Jamaican Jerk restaurants throughout the Bay Area, seafood out the wazoo, and some of the best Greek food this side of the Atlantic in Tarpon Springs. We literally have everything but we are famed for our Cuban sandwiches. Ybor City in Tampa has a large Cuban population that has molded the area into a place with culture, history and some damn good sandwiches. Again, we could go on for hours but you will have to take the food tour of the world yourself once you get here.
The Arts
We’ve got ‘em. Almost anywhere you go you will find a museum that highlights the history of the world or of the town you’re in. We have the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg which houses the surrealist paintings of Salvador Dali, the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Glazer Museum, the Holocaust Museum, the Imagine Museum, multiple museums dedicated to old cars and others that look at the history of their specific town and area. We also have art, everywhere. Go for a walk in downtown St. Petersburg where you will see street art on the sides of buildings, in Dunedin you will see the signature oranges painted throughout the downtown district and in Tampa you can gaze (and tour) the beautiful architecture of the Henry B. Plant Museum.
Everything Else That We Forgot to Mention
If we could, we’d make this a 20 item list but for your time and ours, we will wrap this up with a mention of a couple more things. The schools are great, we have private schools, higher ranking public schools, Montessories and a bunch of organizations that work for student success. Do your homework to find the best school that works for your family. GreatSchools.org is a valuable resource. We have two universities, some smaller colleges and a bunch of satellite campuses, so if you’re planning on going back to school, the Tampa Area will most likely have a program for you. Traffic can be a pain like any major city but it is generally good outside of rush hour traffic. The secret is learning all the different ways to get to the same place so drive around and figure out the different ways to get from place to place. Shopping here is great, we have almost every retail company that you can imagine and we seem to get more every day. But, we will say, literally shop around, we have great people opening their own businesses all the time and you can find some really great products and gifts for everyone in your family, plus your helping the local economy (awesome!).
To Sum it Up…
The Tampa Bay area is home to amazing people, great cultures and a whole bunch of things to do. We are friendly and we know how to have a good time… and we want you to be a part of our growing Tampa Bay family. So pack up your bags and come on down and of course, bring a ton of sunscreen (you’ll need it here!).
